7. What action is the Welsh Government taking to promote access to education in rural Conwy and Denbighshire? OQ58201

I thank the Member, Llywydd, for the question. All children in Wales have a right to access education within their own areas. Local authorities are responsible for planning school places and must ensure that there are sufficient schools providing primary and secondary education in their areas. 

Thank you for that response, First Minister. I was actually raising the question because of concerns about access to further education for some of my constituents. You'll be aware of the excellent provision that there has been over many years at Coleg Llysfasi, which is just outside Ruthin, which provides agricultural courses and animal-related courses as well, in terms of their small animal course provision.

It is a matter of great regret to me that Coleg Cambria has recently announced that it intends to change the location of those small animal courses that are available at Coleg Llysfasi. It has made that decision with no consultation with students, no consultation with staff, and no consultation with the parents of students either.

The result of the withdrawal of the animal care courses at Coleg Llysfasi means that the Welsh language provision of courses will be hampered as a result of the relocation of these courses to Northop. In addition to that, it will make access to those courses very difficult, particularly for those students who've already started some of their courses and hope to progress on to other years as well, because many will have, now, trips of up to an hour in each direction in order to access their courses. That's clearly unacceptable.

Given that FE colleges are in receipt of significant income from the Welsh Government, I would like to ask you if the Welsh Government will consider putting obligations on FE colleges to make sure that they are required to consult when they are proposing significant changes in the future to the location of courses, given the significant impact on students and staff.

Llywydd, can I thank Darren Millar for raising that issue this afternoon? While I'm very familiar with Llysfasi and the work it does, and indeed the excellent work carried out by Coleg Cambria, that's the first I've heard of the specific issue that he's set out comprehensively this afternoon. The Minister will have heard what he has to say. I'm sure he'll be happy to look at whether there are changes to arrangements that need to be put in place, or whether it's more a matter of pursuing the individual concern that Darren Millar has raised this afternoon.